A review by bookish_by_elle
Ain't Never Not Been Black by Javon Johnson

4.0

A theme of survival resonates throughout the poems published in this book. Ain't Never Not Been Black chronicles the life of the black man in America. It has been difficult to put my thoughts on this book into words: intense, serious, honest; Still at times, Johnson communicates his story so beautifully, that the gravity of these poems almost eludes me. From Malcom X to Jean-Michel Basquiat, these poems show how America's (mal)treatment of the black man has transcended generations. Eloquently written, creative and original, I think that this book is definitely one to read.